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WISCONSIN SPORTS ROUNDUP: Brewers end losing streak with 11-2 win

The Milwaukee Brewers will spend the All-Star break in sole possession of first place in the National League Central Division -- just barely. The Brewers ended a seven-game losing streak by crushing the Saint Louis Cardinals 11-to-2 yesterday at Miller Park. The Cards moved into a tie with Milwaukee for the division lead on Saturday. But the Brewers used a season-high tying 19 hits and a solid start from Wily Peralta to go ten games above .500 at the break at 53-and-43. Milwaukee now has the second-best record in the National League at a half-game behind the L-A Dodgers. Peralta struck out five in seven innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits. He improved to 10-and-6. Khris Davis homered, Carlos Gomez drove in three runs, and Elian Herrera went 5-for-5 for Milwaukee. The first four hitters in the Brewers lineup -- Gomez, Scooter Gennett, Ryan Braun, and Aramis Ramirez -- went 11-for-17 in the game with seven R-B-I's. Ex-Milwaukee catcher George Kottaras drove in a run for Saint Louis with a ground-out. Carlos Martinez took the loss, giving up four runs in four innings. He's now 2-and-4. Gomez, Ramirez, and Jonathan Lucroy will start for the National League in tomorrow night's All-Star Game in Minneapolis -- and reliever Francisco Rodriguez will join them. The Brewers' next game is on Friday night at Washington.

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The only Brewers' prospect in the All-Star Futures' Game retired the only batter he faced yesterday. Right-hander Jorge Lopez of Class-"A" Brevard County threw a ground-out, as he made a brief appearance in the eighth inning for a team of foreign-born Major League prospects. The U-S born prospects won their fifth straight Futures' Game over the World Team, 3-to-2 at Target Field in Minneapolis. Texas prospect Joey Gallo had the game-winning hit, a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Former Beloit Snapper Renato Nunez singled in two trips for the World prospects. Nunez is now with the Oakland A's Double-"A" team in Stockton California. Also, former Brewers' All-Star shortstop Jose Hernandez was a coach for the World squad.

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Former U-W Stevens Point starter Jordan Zimmermann might not pitch again for the Washington Nationals until next week at the earliest. For the second year in a row, the native of Auburndale in central Wisconsin has withdrawn from the All-Star Game. Zimmermann was named to the National League pitching squad for tomorrow night's contest in Minneapolis, but he pulled out with a biceps strain. A year ago, he sat in the N-L dugout while not playing due to an injured neck. Zimmermann said his biceps felt better yesterday, but the real test won't come until Thursday -- when he's scheduled to have a throwing session for the first time since his injury. Zimmermann is now scheduled to return next week, when the Nationals play at Colorado. If he's not ready, the Nats could call up right-hander Blake Treinen to start in his place.

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For the second week in a row, Madison golfer Steve Stricker had trouble in his final round, and he dropped into a tie for 11th at the P-G-A's John Deere Classic. Stricker began the day one stroke off the lead in second place -- but he had trouble with his putter yesterday and shot a one-over-par 72. He finished at 15-under-269. That was seven strokes behind the winner, Brian Harman. Jerry Kelly of Madison tied for third. Kelly shot a five-under-66 yesterday and completed his four rounds at 19-under, three off the lead. He also passed the million-dollar mark in season winnings for the 12th time in his career. Pewaukee native Mark Wilson tied for 63rd. He was one-under yesterday, and was minus-five for the event. Mequon amateur Jordan Niebrugge tied for 27th in his first full P-G-A tournament. He shot a 69 yesterday, and finished ten-under at 274.

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Wisconsin NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth placed fourth yesterday at the Camping World R-V Sales-301 in Loudon New Hampshire. Kenseth, who won at New Hampshire last September, also moved up one spot in the Sprint Cup season point standings to Number-four. He has 621 points, 49 behind first-place Jeff Gordon with seven races to go before the season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup. Paul Menard of Eau Claire also remains in contention for the Chase, despite dropping one place in the point standings to 11th. He was 19th yesterday. Beloit-born Danica Patrick finished 22nd at Loudon, and she's 27th for the year. Brad Keselowski won both races at New Hampshire during the weekend, including the Nationwide Series' event on Saturday. Kenseth was third in that race, and Menard 19th.

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The Milwaukee Bucks are now 0-and-2 in their N-B-A Summer League, after losing to the Phoenix Suns 93-to-82 last night in Las Vegas. The Bucks were down by six going into the fourth quarter. But former U-W Green Bay center Alec Brown hit a three-pointer to start a 15-0 run that secured the Suns' victory. Nate Wolters and Giannis Antetokounmpo each scored 16 points for Milwaukee. Rookie Jabari Parker struggled, making just 4-of-15 shots while getting 11 points and 11 rebounds. Brown had seven points and four boards for Phoenix, which improved to 1-and-1. The Bucks will play Utah tonight.

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Wisconsin's two-time girls' high school basketball player of the year has narrowed her list of college possibilities to five. In a tweet last night, Arike Ogunbowale of Milwaukee Divine Savior narrowed her list of colleges to Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Louisville, and U-C-L-A. A year ago, Ogunbowale had a list of 11 colleges she would consider. Marquette has since dropped off that list, along with perennial women's powerhouse U-Conn, Duke, Stanford, De Paul, and Michigan. A week ago, Ogunbowale helped the U-S Under-17 women's team win a gold medal at their world tournament. She averaged almost 11 points a game in those contests.